Great Shadow
by Mummified Dreams
Summary: A lone swordswoman by the name of Underworld Icicle discovers it is not wise to challenge a great warlock.  Updated to a work-in-progress on 4/10.
1. Chapter 1

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great shadow.

"You're a fool, little Sword," the voice purred, low and seductive. It belonged to a girl, standing calmly in the desert sand, wind whipping her black hair. Her lips were curled back in a smirk as her black blade jaunted into the earth. "Challenging me again? Must we go through this every time you wish to use that ridiculous thing of yours? Why not pick on somebody of your own capability?" She cackled, leaning slightly on her weapon. "I'll slaughter you. You know that."

Another girl stared at her with cold, auburn eyes. "This is not a matter of I wanting to play with you, Dragon Slayer," she stated, her slender katana hoisted over her shoulder. "You know of the dark deeds you commit in this world. I am here to punish you." Her gaze darkened, and her equally black hair shadowed her face. "I will kill you if I must." The dust swirled around them in sparkles of dreamlike glitter, shooting up to the misty sky.

Dragon Slayer hummed, putting a carefully groomed fingernail to her lips. "Evil deeds? I thought that was a secret. Heroic, aren't you, little Sword? You're almost acting like you're one of the… good guys." She cocked an eyebrow. "Aren't we supposed to be on the same side? We want to put a stop to those goody-goody heroines, like that Shooter and Maid character."

"I work alone." The tone was cold – barren of emotion as the desert was barren of life. It sounded almost… rehearsed. For, at the same time, the shaky worry she was trying to restrain so desperately was peeking out just a bit. Her left arm resting at her side was trembling.

"Oh? A rogue little cat, aren't you?" She gasped dramatically. "Little Underworld Icicle, alone in the Otherworld! A foolish move on your part. If you are not with me, you are against me. And, judging by your earlier statement, you want to challenge me." She gazed around the area with her yellow eyes, and a look of disappointment crossed her beautiful face. "Pity. The desert is not my strongest place for combat. Oh well, it'll have to do."

Underworld Icicle tensed. Suddenly, she stretched out her left arm. In a fluid, robotic motion, the entire thing seemed to be swallowed by a metallic monster. Swirls of iron quickly replaced the soft pale skin, growing larger and larger until it was twice the size of its master. Her legs wrapped themselves in the swirls of the great black sword, perfectly balanced as she looked at the figure below her. The tip of the sword was lodged into the thick sand, able to let it stand up right.

There was a sigh from Dragon Slayer. "Didn't your foolish mentor ever tell you not to bring out that silly weapon of yours unless you need it?" A crooked little grin was firmly settled on her features. "If you fall, that _thing_ will rip your arm right out of its socket."

"Mentor?" This seemed to have struck a nerve. Underworld Icicle paused, before finally leering at her opponent. "You shall not speak of her. How dare you insult her… she was a better warlock and swords master than you could ever hope to be."

A snort. "Ha! She designed such useless weapons, and used them herself to the point of stupidity. No wonder she died so easily… she had a gigantic weak spot—"

Underworld Icicle growled fiercely. Using an impossible amount of strength, she lifted the great sword in the air, letting herself fall off its edge. With a ragged motion, the sword aimed to stab into the placid body of its victim – aimed to kill.

Swiftly, Dragon Slayer dashed out of the way, her dress billowing as she ran. She reached for her sword, and in a graceful motion, held it up in front of her. "It seems she enchanted you when you were still alive," she mused, mostly to herself. "Otherwise you wouldn't be able to lift that thing. Seems like an unfair fight – with you being so clanky and awkward and all. But oh well." She ran forward, bounding elegantly up the sword, her own at the ready.

Her eyes widened. Nobody had warned her about Dragon Slayer's amazing agility. She had thought, hiding behind that spell book all the time, she'd be out of shape. Great Black Sword jumped high into the air and lifted her mighty weapon, sending Dragon Slayer tumbling down the side, scraping herself against the razor edges. Underworld Icicle felt herself falling – the weight of the sword was sending her plummeting towards the hard, flattened terrain, side by side with the witch.

The sword, in another mechanical and painful move, managed to plant itself in the ground, saving its wielder from a quick demise. Underworld Icicle stood on the majestic design of the hilt again, only to hear the crash of Dragon Slayer falling below.

The impact unsettled the dust, and soon as it cleared, she could make out the form of her enemy's limp body, laying pathetically on the amidst the seemingly endless desert. Blood oozed out from beneath her, her teeth were clenched, and her sword lied pathetically, half buried in the sand. Underworld Icicle smiled smugly.

"You shouldn't have taken my mentor's name in vain, nor her ability to craft weapons." The sword retracted, the black metal shrinking and shrinking until all that was left was a normal arm. Underworld Icicle landed on the ground with a soft thump. Her katana was still over her shoulder. "That is what gets you killed, especially in a world like this."

There was no response. She was dead. Underworld Icicle, a lone little rogue, had just beaten the great Dragon Slayer. And she didn't even try. The tension in her face relaxed a bit, and without another world, she turned to stalk off.

Until something collided with the back of her head.

"Oh, little Sword…! You know what else gets you killed in the Otherworld? Foolish ignorance. Oh, you should've stabbed me! Skinned me! Eaten me raw until you _knew_ I couldn't come back!" Underworld Icicle fell to the ground, and she could only faintly make out the outline of the looming figure. Her enchantment saved her for that long. "We sorceresses always have ways of coming back, my darling. And now… I'll be happy to show you… just give me what I desire."

Then the world went as black as the edge of her blade.

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A/N: I know what you're thinking:  
Who? What? Where? When? Why? How?

You see, Underworld Icicle (or Great Black Sword - but that sounds... suggestive to me) is one of those BRS characters with absolutely no background - just a drawing.  
Who I fell in love with.  
I don't know what it is, but my mind immediately went to thinking up ridiculous backgrounds for her. And this is the single fruit of my labor. Sorry it's awful. And no, she's not a fan character - she's huke's.

Please visit my profile for my theory on "enchantments" and whatnot, since if I put it here, the story would seem much longer than it is.


	2. Chapter 2

**2.  
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She did not know what to make of herself when she awoke.

She attempted to stretch her arms, but found that they were bound to the sleek, cool plates that jutted from the post she was knotted to like a pair of demon's wings.

She attempted to move her legs, but found that they were chained around the knees and ankles, frozen to the device she was attached to.

She attempted to remain collected, but found out that that, too, was hopeless.

Underworld Icicle glanced frantically about, trying to make light of where she was. All she saw was the towering, swirling metals of the coliseum that surrounded her from all sides, twisting together to form some sort of huge cage dappled in lavender light. The cracked floor was abandoned, save for the occasional weapon or two. A ball and chain here, a knife there, a gun at her feet that she could not reach. She did not, however, see her great black sword or her katana. Without them, she felt completely naked and alone.

Horribly, terribly alone.

Fear was beginning to cripple her mind, despite that every ounce of training she had _screamed_ at her to keep it together. But it was no good – she was human, after all, and humans were easily frightened creatures.

"I see you have awaken," a voice as sweet as sugar wafted in from her side. Underworld Icicle tried to turn her head to see the newcomer, but was rewarded with a sharp pain coming from her neck. That too was immovable. "Aha, it's not use. You can only see what I want you to see, see? I control you now, little Sword."

That voice. That voice was the same as she had heard in the desert what felt like ages ago. Underworld Icicle tried to scream at the villain, but her mouth was gagged and all it did was make the horrible rag seep deeper into her throat. She coughed wildly, trying to jam it out with her tongue, but to no avail.

Dragon Slayer pranced into view, swinging her own sword by her side with a sick sense of glee. "I wouldn't do that if I were you," she advised with a grin. "The more the struggle, the further back it lodges into your throat. You'll suffocate if you keep thrashing about like that… not to mention cut through your legs and arms. Stop it, you look silly."

Underworld Icicle fought desperately to hold back hot tears. She had been captured… by Dragon Slayer, of all people. The exact person she had traveled all the way to punish – perhaps even kill – was standing in front of her, smirking, winning. She was furious and ashamed.

"Now, now. Don't be sad. If you do exactly what I say, I assure you you'll get out of here in no time. Now…" Dragon Slayer spun around, palms outstretched, gesturing to the crooked dome around them. "Do you know where we are?"

What was she playing at? Was she _trying_ to humiliate her, by asking her questions she could not answer? Underworld Icicle merely glared through her vision that was quickly becoming blurry.

There was a slow giggle. "Oh, silly me, I forgot you can't speak. Very well, I'll just explain it to you then. Listen up, little Sword, because if you make a wrong move, you know as well as I do that I have no qualms about cutting you down to the bone right here." She took a pause. "We are in my personal domain. I, as you are incredibly aware, am a sorceress. Do you know where sorceresses get their power, Sword?" Dragon Slayer looked her over. "You aren't very bright, so I'm guessing that's a no. Sorceresses get their power by stealing and harnessing the energy from other beings in the Otherworld. Naturally, taking other beings' power is a rough and dangerous task… dirty, too. It soils my tile every day. For example, look down."

Underworld Icicle panned her vision down as instructed. Her entire body began to shake as she registered the black, dried splotches that ruined the already dirtied tile. They were crusted and flaky, but by the way Dragon Slayer smirked, she was sure of what they were.

Fear once again began to overwhelm her.

"You see, the device you are hooked up to is a very basic torture device. I'll play around with you for a bit – make you bleed, harness your energy, feast on your screams – and then throw you into the dungeon and have you for breakfast tomorrow." Dragon Slayer tapped her pale chin contemplatively. "But I do have other courses to choose from, you understand. Don't think of yourself as special. I have… oh, I don't know, about three others with me right now? One of them is nearing its expiration date, though…" She wrinkled her nose in disgust.

Underworld Icicle did not move. Her thoughts began to cloud. She had heard horror stories about this sort of thing before – about how greedy, evil sorceresses sucked the soul out of the people they caught. She never, not in a million years, thought it would happen to her.

Dragon Slayer waltzed up to her, black sword raised. Its blade teased her stomach through the torn remains of her black jacket, dancing over the white skin, leaving terrified shivers.

"How adorable," Dragon Slayer whispered so softly it managed to penetrate the victim's every pour. "You're already shaking and crying. People like that have the most soul… the more energy, the more scrumptious the meal. Oh, little Sword, what have you gotten yourself into?"

What indeed.

Underworld Icicle let her tears flow.

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A/N: whoa it has another chapter wat

Am I building something here? idk, I just got bored.

And I'm building my own canon ftw.

I'll continue... if I get bored again lol. I've got some sort of plot going on somewhere up in my brain.


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